A private (meaning, non-public) field like this one probably uses the multicom frequency, but yes. Self-announce on the CTAF. Irks me a bit there aren’t runway numbers.
Gives you a rough magnetic heading so you can line up easier and keep your pattern straight. Also to tell others which way you’re going to keep from crashing head-on (a north/south strip might be 36/18, for example, so ppl know which way you’re going).
But, when you get to taxiway echo, it actually crosses Spruce Creek Blvd. So, you could be slowing down to a stop sign, only to see a plane taxi across the road in front of you. I wonder how often cars end up on that taxiway by accident.
It's the present in the US. Many people own personal train cars, and you just contract with Amtrak to hook you up and you're off on vacation. You can even bring Babu. You can rent personal cars as well, though you probably should make sure yuor ocelot is housebroken if you're taking a rental.
Now, I say "many" but what I means is that's more than a few. Many is still probably in the 3-4 digit number (I'm guessing). And you'd be correct in assuming that it's not a luxury most people can afford. But it does exist.
DO they still? Last I heard Amtrak was no longer taking private train cars as too many were not in good mechanical shape and thus a large cause of their delayed trains.
I was just googling around, and it looks to me like a private rail car costs something like a 2nd home, storage fees similar to property tax, $4/mile to have Amtrak haul you around. Basically a vacation home, but mobile. Definitely a 1% thing, but not billionaires-only. Probably way more prestige in saying you’ve got a private rail car than a beach house. At least among a certain segment.
My parents almost did this in India a few years back. They have travel agencies that plop you in a couple of nicely-appointed rail cars that you stay in for a month while they’re attached to different trains every night. You wake up each morning in a new city - basically a land cruise.
Railroad suburbs exist! Streetcar suburbs as well. Was actually the norm outside of the city core until they started ripping up all the rail lines to build highways.
I have a friend who lives in one of these neighborhoods but right in the middle of a city. Blows my mind that it was there the whole time and I just never noticed until I went to his house.
Many pilots do this as a means of reducing the costs associated with operating out of areas with high hangar and service costs. This is Northwest of Chicago near Rockford. The about page explains a lot of the obvious questions.
Imagine showing up to an HOA meeting with a presentation on why we need to spend ten million dollars on a localizer and glideslope array so Larry wouldn’t have to divert to O’Hare when it’s foggy again.
I can’t imagine this being used for anything other than daylight VFR flying, which doesn’t need radio guidance or even guidance in general beyond the airstrip itself. It’s also possible that there are lights, and they’re just too small to see when not lit.
Naw most VFR unguided airstrips like this don't have anything in the way of landing assistance. The idea being that they'd never fly at night time and divert to a nearby IFR airport if there's sudden weather. Like literal fair weather pilots.
Because this is a small general aviation field. This is for doctors flying their Cirrus SR22 in and out of. You might be surprised how many airfields are probably around you and how many of those are just a strip of grass with some hangers off to the side.
We actually have one of these in Dayton, Nevada. Half hour away from Carson City, hour from Reno, not much to speak of at all in the town really (other than some historical interests) but there's an entire subdivision with a golf course and a small airfield and "hangar homes".
mildlyinteresting
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